ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Education
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan holds bilateral meeting with HE Dr. Bonginkosi Emmanuel "Blade" NZIMANDE, Minister of Higher Education, Science & Innovation, Republic of South Africa in Bali, Indonesia.
Union Education and Skill Development Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan held a bilateral meeting with HE Dr. Bonginkosi Emmanuel "Blade" NZIMANDE, Minister of Higher Education, Science & Innovation, Republic of South Africa, in Bali, Indonesia, today.
The Ministers had fruitful discussions on strengthening the academic & skill development partnerships and bilateral education cooperation.
The Ministers agreed to develop institutional mechanisms for tie-ups between HEIs & skill institutions, mutual recognition of skill qualifications & capacity building in skill development.
They also decided to set up a Joint Working Group on Education between two countries to further extend the cooperation that already exists and also to realise the full potential of bilateral cooperation in education.
Shri Pradhan said that the Introduction of NEP has paved the way for the internationalisation of Indian education.
Shri Pradhan added that India and South Africa relations are close and friendly and is rooted in shared values and interests.
Shri Pradhan thanked HE Dr NZIMANDE for his keenness to deepen our engagements in education & skill development and for his support to India’s presidency in furthering the G20 EdWG agenda.
Shri Pradhan also visited the Gusti Bagus Sugriwa University in Bali, Indonesia. Minister Pradhan said that the University is a reflection of the pluralistic ethos of Indonesia and a celebration of common roots, identity and deep cultural connect between Indonesia and India.
He explored opportunities for institutional linkages with HEIs in India and academic collaboration in the field of Sanskrit language, Philosophy, Ayurveda and Yoga.
He also said that strong academic collaborations and student exchange between Sugriwa University & Indian HEIs will pave the way for broadening the understanding of Hinduism and the shared spiritual, cultural & economic ties.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan also visited the International Institute of Tourism and Business  in Bali.
He had an overview of the training facilities, skilling programs, credit frameworks, pathways to student mobility and future plans among others.
He said that collaborations in skilling will encourage toursimpreneurship, help build capacities in emerging areas of travel, tourism, hospitality & business and boost people-to-people linkages.
Ministry of Finance
The Union Finance Minister to chair the 17th Meeting of the GST Council on Sunday, 18th June, 2017
The Union Minister for Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley will chair the 17th Meeting of the GST Council scheduled to be held on Sunday, 18th June, 2017 at Vigyan Bhavan in the national capital. The one day Meeting will also be attended among others by the Finance Ministers of different States and UTs  being the members of the GST Council.
Main agenda items of the 17th GST Council Meeting include confirmation of the minutes of the 16th GST Council meeting held on 11th June, 2017, approval of draft GST Rules and related Forms for  Advance Ruling,  Appeals and Revision,  Assessment and Audit,  E-Way Bill &  Anti-Profiteering, and Fitment/adjustment of GST Rates on certain items among others.
President's Secretariat
Indian Forest Service Officers are the nation’s soldiers in an important area of environmental and ecological conservation, says President
A group of 89 probationers of Indian Forest Service  from Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun called on the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind today  at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Addressing the Forest Service Officers, the President said that they have chosen a very noble profession. Forests have always been special to Indian ethos and culture. Our civilisation has derived its intellectual and spiritual strength from forests. These forests, therefore, are not merely a resource but they also cover the cultural, spiritual and intellectual heritage of the country. The onus of protecting this heritage is now on the Forest Service Officers. On them lies the responsibility of ensuring environmental security, accommodating the sustainable development needs of the country.
The President said that in the past few decades, the world has woken up to threats to the very survival of humankind due to environmental degradation, depletion in forest cover and above all global warming leading to climate change. India has emerged as a global leader in handling complex climate change issues. Our national forest policy envisages 33 per cent of the land mass should be under forest cover. The Forest Service Officers have to find ways and means to enrich the natural forests, and facilitate bringing non-forest areas under tree cover. They have joined a public service and are the nation’s soldiers in an important area of environmental and ecological conservation. The President urged them to discharge their duties fairly, without fear, with honesty, and in such a way that their actions benefit the nation and common citizens as a whole.
The President said that India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and we have set ourselves stiff targets. The Forest Service Officers have to strike a balance between conservation needs and development requirements. Their job is not to pose problems but to provide solutions.
Ministry of Railways
Felicitation of Outstanding Railway Women Employees by RWWCO
RWWCO honours the services of women employees for their outstanding services every year
RWWCO is the apex body of the chain of women’s welfare organisations spread over all Indian Railways
RWWCO annually honours the services of selected women employees of Group-C & Group-D for their outstanding services. The purpose was to boost the morale of those women, who show exemplary dedication, integrity and courage in discharge of their duties and who also work quietly in any other social field viz. Hospital, School, Sports, Blood Donation, Family Welfare Programme, Scouts & Guides etc.
This year 34 outstanding railway women employees have been felicitated in a special function held at National Rail Museum Auditorium, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi today. Smt. Menu Lahoti, President/RWWCO as Chief Guest distributed merit certificates and cash awards to women awardees. A colourful cultural programme was also presented by artists from Central Railway, on this occasion.
Railway Women’s Welfare Central Organisation is the apex body of the chain of women’s welfare organisations spread over all Indian Railways engaged in the task of welfare of railwaymen and their families through various need-based socio/welfare activities.YB/DNS
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Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
MoPNG Swachhta Pakhwada Awards presented by Shri Hardeep Singh Puri ‘Indian Petroleum & Natural Gas Statistics 2020-21’ publication launched
The MoPNG Swachchta Pakhwada Awards were presented to the winners by the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Hardeep Singh Puri today. The Minister also launched the Ministry’s annual publication ‘Indian Petroleum & Natural Gas Statistics 2020-21’. This is a repository of data which gives an overall picture of India’s oil & Gas sector including exploration, production, refining, transportation and marketing, imports and exports of crude oil& petroleum products.
Congratulating the winners and the participants of the event, Shri Puri said that among all the central programs, Swachchta is more than a scheme. It not only has the physical targets, but also it is a process aimed at generating higher consciousness about cleanliness. He said that the stakeholders in the oil and gas sector have captured this philosophy in their work and their premises have become top class. The Minister also lauded the sector for its contribution in the national economy. The Minister emphasised on making more efforts to make the country Atamnirbhar in the sector. Shri Puri also stressed on generating reliable data and putting it in the public domain, so that it can be used for research and analysis.
The Swachhta Pakhwada was organised by Oil & Gas CPSEs, and attached offices of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas during 1st-15th July last year. Motivational events were organised with full zeal and enthusiasm to encourage the Petroleum sector fraternity for their active participation and contribution towards Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and making India clean, green and healthy. In order to ensure a healthy competition and more effective outcome of the Pakhwada, “Swachhta Pakhwada Awards” have been instituted for exemplary performance during the fortnight. Base on their performance in the event, IOCL was ranked first, ONGC second and HPCL came third.
As a result of this initiative led by MoPNG, more than 2 lakh hygiene kits, around 3 lakh masks and around 1.1 lakh eco-friendly bags were distributed. Around 1.3 lakh trees were planted and more than 7 thousand dustbins installed. During the pakhwada, 40 plastic waste collection centres were set up and more than 4000 online internal & external competitions were organized which saw an active participation of around 70 thousand people.
Ministry of Railways
New Vande Bharat trains to make the travel experience much better, with higher speed and more features
Side recliner seat facility will be extended to all classes
Heating, Ventilation, and Air conditioning  will improve passengers’ health and comfort
In the constant endeavor to give the best facilities to passengers, the Indian Railways will be introducing the new avatar of high speed train Vande Bharat i.e. Vande Bharat 2. Vande Bharat 2 will be equipped with more advancements and improved features like 0 to 100 Kmpl speed in just 52 second, maximum speed up to 180 Kmph, lesser weight of 392 ton instead of 430 ton and WI-FI content on demand. New Vande Bharat will also have 32-inch LCD TVs which was of 24 inch in earlier version. 15 percent more energy efficient ACs with dust free clean air cooling of traction motor will make the travel more comfortable. Side recliner seat facility which is being provided to Executive Class passengers, will now be made available for all classes.
In the new design of Vande Bharat Express, photo-catalytic ultra violet air purification system is installed in the roof mounted Roof Mounted Package Unit  for air purification. As recommended by Central Scientific Instruments Organisation , Chandigarh, this system is designed and installed in both ends of RMPU to filter and clean the air free from germs, bacteria, virus, etc. coming through fresh air and return air.
Ministry of Finance
ADB, India sign $350 million loan to improve in Maharashtra
The Asian Development Bank  and the Government of India today signed a $350 million loan to improve the connectivity of key economic areas in the state of Maharashtra.
The signatories to the Connecting Economic Clusters for Inclusive Growth in Maharashtra project were Shri Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance who signed for the Government of India, and Mr Hoe Yun Jeong, Officer-in-Charge of ADB’s India Resident Mission, who signed for ADB.
After signing the loan agreement Shri Mishra stated that the project will help address intra-regional disparities by improving connectivity, facilitating access to services, and accelerating inclusive economic growth of lagging districts in the state.
“This project builds on ADB’s ongoing support to upgrade state highways and major district roads in Maharashtra,” said Mr. Jeong. “It demonstrates approaches and practices that are not yet common practice, including road safety demonstration corridors; climate change adaptation and disaster-risk reduction; and highway works programs responsive to the needs of women, children, the elderly, and people with disability.”
At least 319 kilometers  of state highways and 149 km of district roads will be upgraded incorporating climate and disaster-resilient features to strengthen the state’s core road network in the 10 districts of Ahmednagar, Hingoli, Jalna, Kohalpur, Nagur, Nanded, Nashik, Pune, Sangli, and Satara. This will help connect underdeveloped rural communities with off-farm opportunities and markets, improve access to health and social services and improve agricultural value chains by reducing transport costs for small and medium-sized enterprises.
In addition, the project will construct 5 km of major district roads connecting Nanded and neighboring Telangana. The project will promote gender equality and social inclusion in highway programs, schools, health, and social services and set up integrated service centers to provide basic sanitation, education, and other services. Skills training for enterprises led by poor women and disadvantaged groups will be conducted to provide livelihood opportunities. The project will demonstrate the private sector’s effectiveness in undertaking long-term road maintenance for greater life-cycle quality and operational efficiency. It will also develop a good practice handbook for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in road design and maintenance.
Prime Minister's Office
PM congratulates Judo Player, Tulika Maan on winning Silver Medal at Birmingham CWG 2022.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated Judo Player, Tulika Maan on winning Silver Medal at Birmingham CWG 2022.
The Prime Minister tweeted;
"Tulika Maan shines at the Birmingham games! Congratulations to her on winning the Silver medal in Judo. This medal is yet another accolade in her distinguished sporting career. Wishing her the very best for her upcoming endeavours."
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
65 Dedicated COVID Hospitals identified for COVID-19 management in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana & UT Chandigarh COVID-19 testing lab network strengthened with 76 approved labs in the northern region
Chandigarh, July 18, 2020
The joint efforts by the Centre and the State/UT governments of increasing the testing capacity and ramping up the health infrastructure for COVID-19 management have led to a continuous improvement in the recovery rates seen across India. The northern region covering the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh & UT Chandigarh has identified a total of 469 Dedicated Covid Care Centres, 252 COVID Health Centres & 65 Dedicated COVID Hospitals for management of COVID-19 cases.
The status of identified health infrastructure in the region covering the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh & UT Chandigarh as on July 16, 2020 is given below:
|
|
S. No.
|
|
STATE/UT
|
|
Dedicated COVID Care Centers
|
|
Dedicated Covid Health Centers
|
|
Dedicated Covid Hospitals
|
|
1.
|
|
Haryana
|
|
377
|
|
181
|
|
43
|
|
2.
|
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
|
23
|
|
11
|
|
11
|
|
3.
|
|
Punjab
|
|
56
|
|
57
|
|
9
|
|
4.
|
|
Chandigarh
|
|
13
|
|
3
|
|
2
Further, as per the “Test, Trace, Treat” strategy, the Central Government is driving enhanced testing initiatives in State/UTs. The northern region covering states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh & UT Chandigarh has a total of 76 approved labs for COVID-19 testing so far. In UT Chandigarh there are four COVID-19 testing laboratories . In Haryana there are 25 approved laboratories with 16 Government labs and 9 from the private sector. In state of Himachal Pradesh, there are 20 approved COVID-19 testing laboratories. Punjab has a total of 27 approved laboratories with 20 Government and 7 private labs.
Across the country, 1383 Dedicated COVID Hospitals, 3107 Dedicated COVID Healthcare Centres, and 10,382 COVID Care Centres have been identified. Together they have a capacity of 46,673 ICU beds. 21,848 ventilators are deployed in the hospitals in all States/UTs. The Centre has supplied 235.58 lakh N95 masks and 124.26 lakh PPE kits to State/UTs/Central institutions.
The testing lab network as on July 17, 2020 is further strengthened with 1253 labs in the country; 885 labs in the government sector and 368 private labs.
Follow our Twitter handles - @ROBChandigarh, @PIBChandigarh and @PIBShimla for regular updates on COVID-19
PIB Headquarters
SUMMER SPECIAL TRAINS
The following special trains will be run to clear the extra rush of passengers during the ensuing summer season.
Special Fare special trains between Chennai Central and Ernakulam Jn.
Train No.06005 Chennai Central – Ernakulam Jn. Special fare special train will leave Chennai Central at 22.30 hrs. on 3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th April 2017  and reach Ernakulam Jn. at 10.45 hrs. the next day.
Train No.06006 Ernakulam Jn. – Chennai Central Special fare special train will leave Ernakulam Jn. at 19.00 hrs. on 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th April 2017  and reach Chennai Central at 07.20 hrs. the next day.
Composition: AC 2-tier – 1, AC 3-tier – 2, Sleeper Class – 12 & Luggage-cum-brake van – 2 coaches.
Stoppages: Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Thrissur and Aluva.
Train No.06005 Chennai Central – Ernakulam Jn. Special fare special train will stop at Ernakulam Town also.
Train No.06006 Ernakulam Jn. – Chennai Central Special fare special train will stop at Perambur also.
Special Fare special train from Ernakulam Jn. to Mysore
Train No.06041 Ernakulam Jn. – Mysore Special fare special train will leave Ernakulam Jn. at 17.00 hrs on 4th, 11th, 18th & 25th April 2017  and reach Mysore at 07.30 hrs the next day.
Composition: AC 2-tier – 1, AC 3-tier – 2, Sleeper Class – 12 & Luggage-cum-brake van – 2 coaches.
Stoppages: Ernakulam Town, Aluva, Thrissur, Ottapalam, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Whitefield, Krishnarajapuram, Bengaluru Cantonment, KSR Bengaluru, Kengeri and Mandya.
(Visitor Counter : 21
Ministry of Power
2nd Energy Transitions Working Group  meeting to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from 2nd-4thApril,2023
The 2nd Energy Transitions Working Group  meeting under India’s G20 Presidency is set to take place in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from Apr. 2-4, 2023. During the three-day meeting, over 100 delegates representing G20 member countries, special invitee countries and International Organizations will engage in detailed deliberations on the priority areas.
The 2nd ETWG meeting is expected to revisit the key takeaways from the previous meeting and take the discussions forward, leading to building consensus on key areas.
On the sidelines, the 2nd ETWG meeting will be complemented by three side events.
- Seminar on Global Green Hydrogen Ecosystem – Enabling Zero Pathways
- Seminar on Accelerate cooling as a key enabler towards energy transition
- Diversified Renewable Energy Supply Chains for advancing energy transitions
The side events will enable sharing of knowledge from successful initiatives that can be replicated across emerging economies.
As part of the 2nd ETWG Meeting, delegates will also visit Gift City, Dandi Kutir and Modhera Sun Temple. The delegates will get to experience the rich cultural heritage, art, architecture, culture, and cuisine of Gujarat.
The 1st ETWG Meeting was held in Bengaluru from Feb. 5-7, 2023, where member countries showed wide ranging support on six identified priority areas by the Indian Presidency, namely:
- Energy transition through addressing technology gaps
- Low-cost financing for energy transition
- Energy security and diversified supply chains
- Energy efficiency, industrial low carbon transitions, and responsible consumption
- Fuels for future
- Universal access to clean energy and just, affordable, and inclusive energy transition pathways
Besides, a few other areas were identified as key areas for collaboration, which included enhancing efficiency and bringing down cost of electrolysers, fuel cells, carbon capture utilization and storage , and advanced chemistry cells for battery storage and small modulator nuclear reactors.
Under India's Presidency, four ETWG meetings, various side events and a Ministerial Meeting have been planned.
India’s G20 Presidency will build upon the efforts and outcomes of previous presidencies, which have successfully advanced the cause of global cooperation in clean energy transition and have made it central to the agenda of sustainable economic development.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID - 19 Vaccination Update - Day 459
India’s cumulative vaccination coverage crosses 186.88 Crore
More than 15 lakh Vaccine doses administered today till 7 pm
India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 186.88 Crore  today. More than 15 lakh  Vaccine Doses have been administered till 7 pm today. The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late tonight.
The cumulative coverage of vaccine doses, segregated based on population priority groups, is as follows:
|
|
Cumulative Vaccine Dose Coverage
|
|
HCWs
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
10404476
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
10009573
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
4629702
|
|
FLWs
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
18414494
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
17527906
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
7201939
|
|
Age Group 12-14 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
25046672
|
|
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
839557
|
|
Age Group 15-18 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
57966479
|
|
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
40726922
|
|
Age Group 18-44 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
555339307
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
473674491
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
46562
|
|
Age Group 45-59 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
202862585
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
186994949
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
163015
|
|
Over 60 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
126823070
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
116482666
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
13731414
|
|
Cumulative 1st dose administered
|
|
996857083
|
|
Cumulative 2nd dose administered
|
|
846256064
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
25772632
|
|
Total
|
|
1868885779
Today’s achievement in the vaccination exercise, segregated by population priority groups, is as follows:
|
|
Date: 19th April, 2022 
|
|
HCWs
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
40
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
520
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
14210
|
|
FLWs
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
54
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
782
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
25850
|
|
Age Group 12-14 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
315911
|
|
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
353602
|
|
Age Group 15-18 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
35330
|
|
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
116591
|
|
Age Group 18-44 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
31021
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
361104
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
4664
|
|
Age Group 45-59 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
4343
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
74060
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
18628
|
|
Over 60 years
|
|
1st Dose
|
|
3625
|
|
2nd Dose
|
|
49625
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
144006
|
|
Cumulative 1st dose administered
|
|
390324
|
|
Cumulative 2nd dose administered
|
|
956284
|
|
Precaution Dose
|
|
207358
|
|
Total
|
|
1553966
The vaccination exercise as a tool to protect the most vulnerable population groups in the country from COVID-19 continues to be regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level.
Ministry of Communications
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw participates in 8th Meeting of BRICS Communications Ministers
Underlines reforms undertaken by Government in Telecom sector
The 8th Meeting of BRICS Communications Ministers was held in virtual mode yesterday under the presidency of China. Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Sh. Ashwini Vaishnaw, participated in the meeting and highlighted achievements of India in the field of ICT. He also underlined the reforms undertaken by Government in Telecom sector.
The Ministers decided to work in the field of ICTs in areas identified at the 14th BRICS Summit held on 23-24 June 2022. All Ministers appreciated the work-plans finalized for BRICS Institute for Future Networks , Digital BRICS Task Force  and hoped that these mechanisms will help in deepening Innovative cooperation among BRICS countries.
The Ministers also adopted a Declaration of the 8th BRICS Communications Meeting. All Ministers appreciated India’s offer for platforms for Digital Public Goods like Aadhar, CoWin, UPI and Diksha and decided to further collaborate in this area.